About Us

Think! The UNAS Forum for World Affairs is an independent forum whose primary purpose is to publish a journal of social scholarship. The forum is formally independent of the United Nations Association of Singapore.

Forum editors make all editorial and organizational decisions and, together with a global approach, carry out day-to-day operations and brainstorming on critical issues.

Apart from serving as an important academic forum for social scholarship, the Forum has two other goals. First, the forum is designed to be an effective research and reference point for students and the public in UN affairs. Second, it provides opportunities for Forum members to develop their writing skills and intellectual capacities through dialogue and discussion.

The Forum publishes articles by professors, students and practitioners and solicits opinions from recognized experts in selected fields. All articles are subjected to an rigorous editorial process by the forum’s editorial board. Articles are selected through their analysis, relevance and quality of expression.

Editorial Board

Editor-In-Chief: Yap Kwong Weng, FBCap

Mr Yap Kwong Weng is currently a Senior Analyst in Singapore’s Ministry of Defence. Concurrently a PhD candidate of the University of Glasgow, he graduated Cum Laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo majoring in Communication. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Manchester, UK. Mr Yap is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of THINK!. He is the Editor of the monograph Key Perspectives of Special Forces (Singapore Armed Forces Journal, 2009). In his free time, Mr Yap studies Public Administration at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; he toys with good ideas, and thinks frequently on how he can make them work. In the near future, Mr Yap looks forward to bridging the gaps between the ideals of the UN and the Singapore society through a global approach.

Working Series Editor: Dr. Jude Chua, FBCap

Jude Chua Soo Meng is Chair of the Peace Studies Committee, UNAS and a founding Fellow of its Blue Capper Programme (FBCap). He is also Assistant Professor at Policy and Leadership Studies, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he is programme coordinator for the Dual Award Doctorate in Education Programme offered with Institute of Education (IoE), London. With an enduring interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas, he is on occasion Visiting Research Scholar at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University and its Las Casas Institute.  He earned his PhD in comparative legal philosophy from the National University of Singapore as president’s graduate fellow, and won a visiting graduate fellowship at the world leading Centre for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame (USA) and worked with the eminent natural law theorist professor John Finnis. With NGO Dominicans for Justice and Peace, he was part of a delegation at the then UN Commission for Human Rights, Geneva. He is a elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS), London for published works in medieval studies and holds a Fellowship qualification of the College of Teachers (FCOT) at IoE, London for publications in education. He has been a visiting research scholar at Institute for Business and Humanism at the University of Navarra, Spain and he won the Novak Award  (Acton Institute, Michigan) for research in religion, ethics and economics, and delivered the Calihan Lecture at the University of Notre Dame.  He was also Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow (Young Global Leaders Session), Austria and 21st Century Trust Fellow (Climate Change Session), London. Widely published, his research focuses on Aquinas’ natural law theory and its contemporary relevance for conceptions of human rights and human development, as well as educational policy and practice.

Executive Editor: Chalongkwan Tavarayuth
Chalongkwan Tavarayuth has just completed her MPhil degree in Development Studies at the University of Oxford. Her thesis focuses on the democratisation process and the democratic development in rural Thailand. She has obtained a Royal Thai Government Scholarship to take this course after finishing her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. Miss Tavarayuth started to be interested in development-related issues when she interned as an external relations officer at the World Scout Bureau in Geneva, Switzerland in 2005-2006. While in Geneva, she had an opportunity to work on youth development issues with several partners such as the World Bank, the United Nations Youth Programme, the UNDP and the Unicef. She was also very active in extracurricular activities. In her undergraduate years, she was a member of Chulalongkorn University Debating Society and the co-president of the American Studies Club. She was also selected to participate in many student forums such as the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Annual Academic Conference in Singapore, the Japan – East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths: JENESYS Programme in Japan as well as the 8th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative in Vietnam. Now in Oxford, Miss Tavarayuth is a president of the Oxford Thai Society. In October 2010, she will be working as a policy analyst at the Ministry of Interior.

Senior Writer/Staff Editor: Deborah Choo

Deborah Choo is a Mass Communications undergraduate in her final year. A freelance author, transcriber and writer who has previously written for several renowned online and print publications such as Youth.sg, The Online Citizen and Style Weddings, she loves being on the ground chasing for stories and speaking to people from all walks of life. Deborah was selected as one of the 120 Youth Olympic Games sports presenters and was trained by Mark Richmond prior to the YOG. She helmed the Modern Pentathlon sports presentation team. She loves dancing, reading and playing the violin in her free time.

Contributing Editor: Emmeline Tan Gern

Emmeline Tan has a full-time career in the Singapore Ministry of Defence. She holds a Master Degree in Public Administration from the National University of Singapore, and a Bachelor Degree with honours in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Emmeline likes to keep abreast of current affairs ranging from economics, politics to public policies, and enjoys reading and making analytical commentaries. She takes time to travel with an open mind so as to see the world from different perspectives. Her purpose in a role with UNAS is to share her perspectives within the ideals of the United Nations.

Staff Editor: Kelvin Chong

Kelvin Chong is a junior undergraduate at the National University of Singapore reading Business Administration and Accountancy. He holds a Diploma in Information Technology with Distinction from Temasek Polytechnic. Kelvin is a varsity debater and represents the NUS Debate Team in both local and international competitions. In his free time, Kelvin is part of The Wiseguys, a band that performs shows at various pubs and establishments around Singapore. Through UNAS, he hopes to create awareness of the United Nations and its global ideals to the Singaporean youth.

Staff Editor: Dave Lee

Dave Lee is currently pursuing a degree in Life Sciences at the National University of Singapore. His experience as an intern in the Communications department at a local Statutory Board has made him more aware of the specific needs of a diverse society in which he resides. His interest, though disparate, is united by a desire to learn, understand and eventually to contribute to the vast human need in an increasingly distant society. He views UNAS as a platform to provoke thought and effect change.

Project Manager: Heok Kay Hua

Kay holds a Diploma in Mechatronics (3D Visualization & Design and Process Automation) from Temasek Polytechnic. He has taken numerous leadership roles in school and was a project leader for the 8^th CDC Entrepreneurship Competition (1^st place). Kay believes in giving back to the society and community, and looks forward to making a difference.

Project Manager: Tan Hock Meng

Tan Hock Meng was a top student from Temasek Polytechnic. He graduated with a Diploma in Electronics (Networking). He led a team in a major project developing a soccer robot that was used in the Robo Cup Competition that was awarded the Distinction grade. Hock Meng  is an inquisitive individual who constantly explores new areas to improve things. As an IT enthusiast, he regularly visits IT stores, the Internet and tinkles with new gadgets.